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About Us

Bestmed School of excellence

The Western Province Rugby Football Union is fortunate to have a big pool of schoolboy rugby players, but it is crucial for these aspiring players to have a pathway to success – even from a young age.

Not only do these players represent Western Province at schoolboy level, from U12 through to U18, but these players will also hopefully form the nucleus of future DHL Stormers and DHL Western Province senior teams.

The best young talent is identified at Under-12 level already for the Elite Squads of the Bestmed School of Excellence, where they undergo training and are prepared for selection to the DHL WP U13 team that competes in the Coca-Cola U13 Craven Week.

The best of that talent is retained, nurtured, grown and added to at an U15 level with Elite Squads identified and prepared for selection to the DHL WP U16 teams for the Coca-Cola U16 Grant Khomo Week.

The same process is followed at the U17 age group level for the DHL WP U18 teams that participate in the Coca-Cola U18 Craven Week and Coca-Cola U18 Academy Week.

Players are invited to trials in September of every year where training squads for the Bestmed School of Excellence are finalised. These squads receive gym programmes and are also exposed to on-field sessions until October under the guidance of the High Performance Department.

At U16 level the players currently in the programme, together with other players at this age group, are invited to trials in March to select final squads for the Coca-Cola U16 Grant Khomo Week. A management team is appointed to coach and manage the team prior to and during the tournaments. After the tournament, mentors are assigned to the players and they are retained within the programme.

At U17 level the High Performance Department receive nominations from school coaches of players that could be included in the Bestmed School of Excellence squad. These nominations are then verified against current players in the Coca-Cola U16 Grant Khomo Week squad of the previous year to ensure that no players are left out. In September every year the final squads are selected and the players are then issued with gym programmes and also attend on-field sessions until October. Schools coaches are appointed to mentor the players and further advise the players with respect to continued personal development.

At U18 level, players from the programme together with additional players nominated by schools, are invited for trials between March and May every year, to select final training squads for the Coca-Cola U18 Craven Week. A management team to coach and manage the team prior to and during the tournament is appointed.

Structures and expert staff are in place to ensure that the top schoolboy players are identified at an early age and placed in a mentorship programme which pairs them with a senior DHL Stormers player, who oversees their development and is able to provide guidance both on and off the field, schooling them in the Western Province way and showing them what it takes to be a professional Western Province athlete.

The on-field results of this structured programme of identification, development and retention over the last five years speak for themselves:

U13 – Won final game 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, Lost final game 2011 and 2012

U16 – Won final game 2012, 2013, 2014

U18 – Won final game 2013, 2015, 2016

At the end of their time with the Bestmed School of Excellence players are selected for inclusion at at the Western Province Rugby Institute and Western Province Rugby Academy to continue their development towards becoming a professional rugby player.

Current and former DHL Western Province and DHL Stormers stars that have passed through DHL Western Province U16 Grant Khomo selection, include Dewaldt Duvenage, Frans Malherbe, Nizaam Carr and Sikhumbuzo Notshe.

Current and former DHL Western Province and DHL Stormers stars that have also passed through DHL Western Province Craven Week selection include Jean de Villiers, Cheslin Kolbe, Dillyn Leyds, Frans Malherbe, Steven Kitshoff, Eben Etzebeth, Louis Schreuder, Kobus van Wyk and Justin Geduld.

BestMed

We’ve got you covered!

Bestmed Medical Scheme has been around for 52 years with more than 95 000 main members and over 200 000 beneficiaries.Reaching this milestone was no easy feat and was only possible through our dedicated and talented staff who are not only our members but continue to help Bestmed grow from strength to strength as the largest open self-administered scheme in South Africa.

So… how does a self-administered scheme affect you?

It means that your money is your money. Being a member of the scheme means that you manage your money within the scheme.Self-administered schemes have no third party administrators, and therefore you receive more value with more benefits due to lower administration costs.Another benefit of a self-administered scheme is that we can negotiate better tariffs with network providers, which benefit you as the member. More bang for your buck as they say!

A sporting future

Bestmed sponsors a number of road running and cycling events, nationwide.We are heavily invested in sport and sport development in South Africa.Our initiative with the School of Excellence is to provide coaching and development to students within the region to mould them into great leaders for tomorrow’s Mzansi.

In order to excel, to reach maximum potential and to go to great heights, Bestmed’s five wellness pillars will help get you there.Our pillars are holistic which focuses on overall well-being so that you can be the best and enjoy a great quality of life as an athlete.

Bestmed’s Wellness Pillars

Be Active
Any exercise is better than no exercise so don those takkies and get movin’

Be Fin-fit
Tips on money management and how to grow your portfolio

Be Happy
Living in the moment, being positive and living with gratitude

Be Nutri-wise
The old adage “You are what you eat” applies here

Be Safe
Always be safe when traveling and use sunscreen when enjoying activities outdoors